What a time to be alive, with “Barbenheimer” setting tweets (or Xes now?) on fire, setting trends, and destroying the competition at the box office. The first weekend of Warner Bros./Mattel’s Barbie and Universal’s Oppenheimer made an indelible imprint on pop culture. With $155 million in domestic ticket sales in its first three days, Barbie easily beat out all other summer blockbusters and made director Greta Gerwig a record breaker.
At the same time, Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan, also had a solid opening weekend, earning $80.5 million. The film’s intriguing premise and Nolan’s reputation as a visionary filmmaker contributed to its appeal among audiences.
Meanwhile, They Cloned Tyrone has emerged as a hidden gem amid the hoopla around these two films and has captivated the attention of Netflix viewers. This Juel Taylor-directed hypnotic science fiction comedy mystery has been quietly gaining acclaim as a must-see for any admirer of mind-bending cinema, reaching #1 among Netflix’s movie offerings in the U.S. Debuting at a time when the entertainment world and fans are celebrating Jamie Foxx’s comeback from illness, this film has come at a perfect time.
Unraveling the plot
In They Cloned Tyrone, we go on an exciting adventure through the streets of a futuristic-looking community known as the Glen. With a distinct mashup of Blaxploitation and ’90s sci-fi thriller themes, the science-fiction mystery investigates a government cloning conspiracy. Fontaine, portrayed by John Boyega, is a drug dealer whose life takes an unexpected turn when he is killed and then mysteriously revived.
Fontaine teams up with a pimp named Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx) and a sex worker named Yo-Yo (Teyonah Parris) on his hunt for answers. They find a hidden laboratory with clones that seem eerily similar to themselves. They learn that the clones are being controlled by outside forces using food cues (like chicken) and code language.
As the three dig deeper, they uncover disturbing evidence that scientists are performing secret experiments on poor Black communities and keeping these areas unsafe so they may continue their evil work without being discovered.
Mind-bending thrills and twists galore
The suspense that builds up throughout They Cloned Tyrone is one of the film’s most notable qualities. The picture skillfully blends science fiction, mystery, comedy, and social critique into one compelling whole. A web of deception, peril, and mind-bending turns ensnares Fontaine and his pals as they investigate the cloning operation, leaving viewers questioning their own sense of reality.
They Clone Tyrone also features some humorous moments to help lighten the mood and relieve some of the film’s serious subject matter. One of the film’s comedic aspects comes from the dynamic between the three main characters. The exchanges between Fontaine, Slick Charles, and Yo-Yo are loaded with witty banter, snarky quips, and amusing one-liners. The characters’ humorous connection adds another element of pleasure to the picture, allowing the audience to interact with them on a more relatable and entertaining level.
The film also makes excellent use of situational comedy to generate laughs. In one such instance, Fontaine, Tyrone, and Yo-Yo find themselves in a ridiculous and unexpected predicament when they discover the hidden basement laboratory. Their street-smart personalities, set against the weird backdrop of the situation, provide for great comic tension.
Uncover the truth and set the clones free
They Cloned Tyrone has a hilarious script, insightful societal commentary, and a compelling plot. John Boyega, Jamie Foxx, and Teyonah Parris lead a stellar cast that has earned much attention for their performances. Their onscreen chemistry brings the characters to life and lends believability to the plot. Fontaine embodies the fragility and determination of a man caught up in a hazardous scheme.
Slick, a pimp who becomes an unexpected friend in Fontaine’s pursuit of the truth, lends his charismatic presence to the part. Teyonah Parris is fantastic as Yo-Yo, a sex worker who is resourceful and fearless. The film delves into the exploitation and experimentation that marginalized groups have endured in real life through parody, and its narrative is original and thought-provoking thanks to how it combines aspects of Blaxploitation and science-fiction thriller genres.
(featured image: Netflix)
